Selling and Marketing Candles

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"The
En-Light-ener" July 2001Candle Making Newsletter

Welcome
to the En-light-ener, Candlewic's newsletter for the candle making
community. We are already at six editions and going strong! We
wish to thank everybody for taking the time to read this Newsletter
and to participate in the various activities that we have initiated.
It is very enjoyable to know that you find this newsletter informative,
and we hope you continue to find it to be the case.

As
you may be aware, last month we ran a contest for individuals
who went to our web site. The winner of this contest (chosen
by random drawing) was Stephanie from Richmond, KY. We wish to
thank everybody who took the time to register for the contest.

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SELLING AND MARKETING CANDLES
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This is the final article in the three-part series on how to successfully market
and sell your candles at all levels.
The second article focused on how to produce the candle in the most cost effective
manner and on selecting the proper markets.
The final article in this series is how to select the proper raw materials.

One
of the unique features of manufacturing candles is that there
really is not a right or wrong way to make candles, provided
the end result is a safe burning candle with a consumer-accepted
appearance. If you look at candles such as those with a mottled
look or "primitive" look, they were considered imperfect
many years ago. This look is now one which many companies strive
to achieve.

As
was discussed in the last edition your two main cost components
are generally wax and the fragrance. The other components are
equally critical when producing the candle, but the cost of these
materials is not as extensive as the primary ones.

As
you may have already learned, not all waxes are created the same.
When sampling waxes or starting production of candles, it is
imperative that you keep notes on all aspects of the process
including precise measurements of the components you are adding
(we recommend that you measure all components by weight because
measuring by volume can really be misleading), the temperature
of the room, the relative humidity in the room, the temperature
of the mold and/or container and the pouring temperatures. (We
strongly recommend that you purchase an accurate thermometer
and periodically check it for accuracy.) The room temperature
should be maintained as consistent as possible. If that is not
realistically possible, you may have to adjust procedures to
take into account for the seasonal changes. Some of the changes
generally occur during the first frost or in early spring when
the humidity begins to develop. The more variables you are able
to control the more consistent results you will be able to achieve.

Selecting
your wax should be based on how consistent the wax performs.
You will want to determine if your supplier consistently purchases
from the same source so you know you'll be starting with the
same material every time. Also, you will want to consider if
your supplier is going to maintain sufficient inventories of
the wax, how long they have been in business, and what the cost
of the wax will be.

It
is very important that additives are measured as accurately as
possible. Once again, if possible, everything should be measured
by weight and not teaspoons or tablespoons. This will ensure
consistency in the finished product.

One
key component of your candle--and in most instances what sells
the candle--is the fragrance. The trend in fragrances has been
to continually add fresh, new and "exciting" scents.
Traditionally, the fragrances such as vanilla, strawberry and
seasonal fragrances such as hollyberry and bayberry where big
sellers. These fragrances still are a big part of the market,
but the growth of candles has been with new images such as garden
path, tropical paradise and cucumber melon.

It
is also imperative to try to market your candles based on the
season. This helps develop a year-round market. For example,
in the Spring, the fragrances such as lavender, sunflower and
gardenia can be popular. When Summer approaches, the fragrances
such as watermelon, mango and guava become popular. In the Fall,
fragrances such as pumpkin spice, oatmeal and vanilla hazelnut
are appealing. Then, the Christmas/Winter is the popular time
for fragrances such as sugar cookie, Christmas essence and bayberry.

While
it may seem like common sense, the keys for a successful candle
company are to 1) make a quality product both in terms of safety
and appearance, 2) sell at a competitive price, 3) develop new
products and/or fragrances, 4) develop a solid reputation for
your company and 5) know your marketplace and limitations.

We
hope that you have found this series interesting and informative.
We at Candlewic are committed to helping you achieve these goals.
Should you have any further specific questions please do not
hesitate to contact us by telephone 610-847-2076 or email us
at info@candlewic.com

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BURN TIME OF A CANDLE
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One of the important elements when marketing a candle (besides the candle itself)
is the burn time. Each candle company has different burning rates depending
on the waxes used and the size of the wick. In order to properly determine
the burn time of a candle, the following procedure should be used:

1.
Light the candle and let burn for four hours. At the conclusion
of this time, blow out the candle.
2. Wait one hour. Then trim the wick and relight for four additional hours.
3. Repeat this procedure until the candle is consumed.
4. Record how many hours you burned the candle.
This will give you a standard burn time at which you can market the candle.
Many times consumers will let the candle burn continuously. This will not allow
the candle to obtain the maximum burn time.

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FAQ
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How can I increase the burn time on my votives?

The
burn time of any candle is a combination of the wax formula and
the wick size used. To increase burn time, you may want to try
using a smaller wick and raising the melt point of the wax. Raising
the melt point of the wax can be done by going to the next higher
melt point wax or by increasing the amount of an additive used
such as C-15 or Vybar 103 and/or a Microcrystalline wax. When
doing this, ensure that you continue to get complete burning
out to the sides of the candle.

How much fragrance can be added to gel candles?

When
using the CG-1 (Low Density) 0-3% fragrance can be used. When
using the CG-2 (Medium Density) 0-4% fragrance can be used. When
using the CG-3 (High Density) 0-5% fragrance can be used.

Related News

When making this type of candle, it is important to ensure that it is made as safely as possible. Making a botanical candle is generally a 4-step process. The first step is to make the "core" or a pillar, generally one which is 3" x 3-1/2". This candle can be made using a 131 F melt wax with some stearic or white coloring. The reason is that you want this candle to be white to offer a contrast to the outer shell. It is also important to size the wick to only burn this candle about 2-1/2" inches across. When this candle is finished, remove it from the mold leaving extra wick on the candle so that is may be threaded through the wick hole on the 4" x 4-1/2" mold. Thus far, the process used to make this candle is no different than as if you were making a standard pillar.

The types of candles that can be made are almost infinite and dependent on the candle maker’s imagination. Many of today’s candles were also very popular years ago. Two good examples would be chunk candles and botanical candles. We will focus on making chunk candles in this newsletter and we will discuss botanical candles in the next issue. The making of chunk candles is relatively easy and allows the candle maker to use excess wax from other production runs in a very productive manner.

It is no secret these days that the candle market has become more competitive. Retailers and consumers have become “price sensitive” on many type of candles. One of the essential requirements to grow a candle company in this new market is to expand your product offering. This will assist to grow your company in two ways. First, it allows you to grow the products that you are offering to your existing customer base; and secondly it allows you to market to new accounts, which previously where not purchasing your products.